Impact of Social Media Influencers on Users’ Dental Care Choices

The impact of social media influencers on some of the users’ everyday choices is undeniable. However, how does this influence extend to their decisions regarding dental care? With dental information guides transforming from physical handouts to digital content on social media, influencers have become prominent figures in shaping habits regarding oral hygiene. This paper aimed to explore the impact of social media on university students’ dental care choices, specifically examining the role of social media influencers in the perceptions and behaviors in this field. The correlation between social media use and dental care choices was analyzed based on responses to a survey that was approved by the Institutional Review Board of a university in the Northeastern Region of the United States. Qualitative and quantitative analysis is conducted based on the 486 data points collected from a survey. The quantitative results are reported based on the summary statistics, statistical correlations and distributions, and Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H-tests. Follow-up interviews to the survey responses are then gathered for qualitative data analysis, providing further insights into the survey findings. The results indicated a higher rate of agreement with following influencers in social media who are dental care professionals for dental care trends or motivated by them to buy dental care products due to their professional opinions. However, some participants expressed concerns regarding the reliability of dental advice provided by social media influencers who were not professionals in the field. Therefore, social media and its influencers may play a crucial role in shaping the psychological choices made by users concerning oral hygiene.